Results: Can’t get much better than this. Straight-up its tingly sweet cinnamon maple or you can hit it with cream/sugar for malty and cocoa goodness. Either way the perfect everyday tea.

Tea: Lumbini Estate OP1

Type:Black

Origin: Sri Lanka

Tasting: Grandpa Style 5 grams / 212°/ 16 oz / 4 minutes

Gong-Go Gear: Insert Affiliate Link

Average number of infusions: 1

Review:

My heart and prayers go out to all the victims and survivors of the horrible terrorist attacks over the Easter Holiday this past weekend. Sitting down to write this review I can’t help but reflect on how interconnected our world has become. That here in the safety of my little desert home I too have connections to those who lost their lives on the other side of the world has moved me deeply; I pray for the peace of mind and heart for both those suffering from senseless violence and its misguided perpetrators to keep them in the light.

I thought this was going to be an easy review but how do you transition from that to tea? How do you not wish for the peace found in a beloved cup of Mother Earth’s bounty to be shared with those in need and suffering – WOW this is hard!

But its a tea review I must write and so I shall.

With this free sample from Upton Tea Imports, Lumbini Estate OP1, I went full on grandpa style with two different tastings one with cream/sugar and the other straight up. While having a lovely aroma it didn’t offer much of a punch, and I could tell immediately that this was one of those teas that would benefit from a longer steep. For each tasting, I used 5 grams of tea at 212°. Since I had a sweet tooth poking at me for the first round I used 10 ounces of water and steeped for five minutes to accommodate the cream and sugar I added afterward. I wasn’t disappointed. Brisk and malty with notes of chocolate and oak I slurped it up savoring the complexity of this tea and how well it balanced out when pale and sweet.

The second round I maintained the leaf at 5 grams and water at 212° but used 16 ounces and cut back on the steep to just 4 minutes. Letting the tea speak for itself I was treated to warm notes of cinnamon that left my tongue tingling. The finish was all about sweet maple that made Upton Tea Imports Lumbini Estat OP1 a great everyday tea to keep around. I think I’ll be blending it up in an iced tea recipe very soon.

Note: After checking their website I found this sample was no longer being offered but there are two other teas from the Lumbini Estate that I wouldn’t hesitate to try.

Gong-Go Tasting

Dry Aroma:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Warm notes of Malt and Cocoa

Appearance:

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Deep brown slightly twisted long leaves

Liquor:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Deep red gold.

Taste:

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From malt & cacao to cinnamon & maple

Mouth Feel:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Refreshing with a slightly cinnamon tingle

Gong-Go Rating Infusion 1 w/Cream & Sugar :

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The cream & sugar brought out the malty and cocoa notes that made for the perfect afternoon pick me up.

Gong-Go Rating Infusion 2 Straigh-Up:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

All cinnamon tingle with a sweeter maple finish and an excellent refresher to get the day going again.

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Lifetime tea lover and blogger sharing the joy of Gong-Go, a flash-fusion brew style for the modern active lifestyle. Writer and aspiring author, I also love growing heirloom tomatoes and turning my pictures into works of art.